A Scout Is Brave... Is Jeremy Guthrie?

Rockies pitcher Jeremy is a Boy Scout.  Literally.  No matter how bad his on-field performance, Guthrie always seems to make news off the field for being a great guy.  In fact, Guthrie was an Eagle Scout who continues to promote the Boy Scouts of America and its values.

A fundamental tenet of the Scout Law is "A Scout is Brave."  Well, now it's time for Guthrie to stand up and be brave.  There is no need to detail his desultory performance for the Colorado Rockies this season; I'll leave the statistics to the sportswriters of Denver, who do a great job of showing start after start how bad Guthrie has actually been.  And he's been historically bad, even by his lousy standards.

In layman's terms, when Guthrie pitches, his poor on-field performance almost always prevents the Rockies from having a chance at winning.  And this is from a guy penciled in from the outset as the Rockies' "ace" - their #1 starter.  He's certainly making #1 starter money - the Rockies will pay Guthrie $8.2 million for his 2012 performance, no matter how bad he is.  And realistically, he can't get much worse.

There isn't much to argue with Guthrie.  He's been awful.  Anyone could have told you he was going to be awful.  He led the American League in losses in 2011, and he's the only the second pitcher in baseball history to have TWO 17-loss seasons.  He's averaged 15 losses each of the last 4 seasons.  Flat out, no matter how nice a guy off the field Jeremy Guthrie is, he simply isn't a good major league pitcher.  Or even a decent one.  He's terrible, and he hurts his team nearly every time he takes the ball.

Again, anyone could have told you he was going to be awful.  Anyone other than the only person whose opinion really mattered, the supposed "best GM in baseball," Dan O'Dowd of the Colorado Rockies.  O'Dowd should be terminated for the Guthrie signing alone, let alone the many other terrible moves he's made, but of course he won't.  And he's also not making $8.2 million this year, either.

After one recent terrible outing, Guthrie beat himself up verbally, even questioning if his team should continue trotting him out there every day to be a batting practice pitcher and get lit up by nearly every team he faces.  Although Rockies manager Jim Tracy tried to boost Guthrie's confidence by saying the team's success (HA!) depended on Guthrie, it was obvious.  Jeremy Guthrie has realized he's not a capable major league pitcher, and he's given up.  The cap tips tonight to a Rockies crowd booing him for giving up a 6-spot to blow the 4-run lead his offense staked for him, and to an opposing player who launched a Guthrie pitch to the third deck of Coors Field showed it all.  All Guthrie has left is to be a nice guy; he knows he's not going to be an effective pitcher.

Herein lies the opportunity for Guthrie to live up to the Scout Law that "A Scout is Brave" and make even MORE off-field headlines for being a great guy.

Jeremy, give back the $8.2 million.  Stand up, be brave, and say simply, "I have not earned a penny of this money, and I'm giving it back."  Bob Knight did it once at Texas Tech after a season that was not NEARLY as bad as the one you are producing, and if you fail to live up to the moral standards set by Bob Knight, then you have really failed.  If the Rockies refuse to take back the salary you have obviously not earned, give it to a fund that disburses it to the poor souls who shelled out for season tickets to watch you fail again and again and again.  Sure, the player's union will balk at this, but being brave means standing up to people who may not be acting on principle.  Stand up to the player's union, Jeremy, and say, "I did not deserve this money.  I have not earned this money.  I cannot in good conscience keep this money when I have failed repeatedly at the job I was promised $8.2 million to do."  Just tip your cap again, Jeremy, and give back the money.  Even if you give back the $8.2 the Rockies owe you for 2012, you'll still be richer than nearly every single Rockies fan who pays to come see you fail at your job.

A Scout is Brave.  Is Jeremy Guthrie TRULY a Scout?  Or does he just talk the talk, pocket the money, and cowardly walk away from the expensive mess he's made in Denver?

At Their Heart, Rockies Are A Bush-League Operation

So Ubaldo was traded. I'm OK with keeping him, and I'm OK with trading him.

I'm not OK with letting him go out there an emotional wreck and be embarrassed for one horrifying, cringe-inducing, 45-pitch, 4-walk, 4-run 1st inning in San Diego before being pulled so he can be traded.

That's just bush league, Rockies. And I suspect you know it. Because we as fans know it.

If Ubaldo was to be traded, let Esmil Rogers (Ubaldo's replacement) start the game. Don't force Ubaldo to attempt to pitch while Rogers warms up in the bullpen.

Rockies brass looks like a monkey fucking a football, as was said in the classic "Days of Thunder."

Thanks, Ubaldo, for all the excitement - the no-hitter, the leadership, the fastballs, the miniscule first-half of 2010 ERA, thanks for everything. And best of luck in Cleveland.

As for the trade itself, it basically hinges on the long-term success of 2010 overall #5 pick pitcher Drew Pomeranz (who, because of contractual reasons, is the "player to be named later.") If Pomeranz turns out to be an ace, the trade was a wash. If Alex White turns out to be a long-term starter, the trade was a good one. And if Joe Gardner (P) and Matt McBride (OF) turn out to be contributors at all, then the trade was VERY good. But it all hinges on Pomeranz... and if he doesn't come up until 2013, it means Rockies management may have written off the 2012 season waiting on Pomeranz. Wonder if they will reduce my season ticket costs...

As for HOW the trade was handles, it could not have been worse. Rockies management, for whatever bullshit reason they will most certainly proffer in the coming days, humiliated a guy who gave the Rockies a lot of good moments, and gave Rockies fans a lot of good memories.

Godspeed, Ubaldo.

Shame on you, Rockies management.

Bad Calls Even Out... And Why The Weak Denver Media Doesn't Help Local Teams

This is less about Colorado and more about a follow-up to our post from last month about the horrendous Jeff Nelson call that absolutely cost the Colorado Rockies a victory (http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2010/06/worst-call-in-history-and-how-it-could.html).

First, let's discuss the adage that we've all heard in sports. "Bad calls even themselves out." Well, I guess the Rockies are approaching even, in a sense, because a team the Rockies are battling for a playoff spot just got cheated out of a victory.

Here's the situation. In a tie game in the bottom of the 9th inning in San Francisco yesterday afternoon, the Giants appear to score the game-winning run, as seen here:















Unfortunately, umpire Phil Cuzzi didn't see it that way, made the "out" call, and the inning continued when the game should have ended with a 1-run Giants victory over the Mets. Of course, the Giants fail to score in the 9th, the Mets score in the top of the 10th, and the Giants fail to score in the bottom of the 10th. Sure, the Giants had chances to win after Cuzzi's bad call, but had Cuzzi made the RIGHT call, the game would have ended with a Giants victory.

What does this have to do with the Denver media, you ask?

Well, the discussion about "discipline" for Phil Cuzzi has already begun, trumpeted initially by dogged NY Daily News blogger Andy Martino here: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2010/07/mlb-likely-to-speak-to-phil-cu.html New York Mets catcher Henry Blanco's comments also didn't hurt, and they are also discussed in Martino's excellent blog. And remember, it was Martino's hometown team that was HELPED by Phil Cuzzi's inability to tell safe from out !!!

Why didn't this happen here, when Jeff Nelson cost the Rockies a victory with a disastrous call? Why didn't Troy Renck, an excellent reporter but not one to make waves like Andy Martino, trash Jeff Nelson for his obviously wrong call that cost the Rockies a game in April? Why didn't Tracy Ringolsby hammer home the blown call that definitively cost the Rockies a game during his interminable segments on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain until Major League Baseball was forced to respond, even if only with a rumor of discipline for Nelson?

I challenge you, Denver media... DEFEND YOUR TEAMS WHEN THEY ARE WRONGED!

And here's a prediction:

Due to Phil Cuzzi's obvious inability as an umpire (remember his HORRENDOUS call in last year's ALDS in New York http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/After-Phil-Cuzzi-s-blown-call-MLB-needs-to-put-;_ylt=AhE63pNQEHGSNZGqpx_IWNurO4d4?urn=mlb,195187 that resulted in Cuzzi being removed from the 2009 World Series umpiring crew), we will never see Mr Cuzzi work a merit-based game again. Cuzzi will never work an All-Star game; he will never work a post-season game; and it wouldn't be surprising if he's found another line of work by Opening Day 2011.

Yet nothing about Jeff Nelson polishing his resume... and his call cost the Rockies just like Cuzzi's cost the Giants.